Favorite Couples of 2021

Hye Sun & Jae Jin - the exception to the rule comes in at the top of the list. Yes, this is not the lead but every moment these two were on screen together was distilled, magical perfection. They were cute. They were funny. They were sweet. They were perfect for each other. They effortlessly stole the spotlight from a pretty strong relationship itself between Woo Yeo and Dam. And it didn't hurt that when they finally realize it, the most perfect cameo of the year by Oh Jung Se happens. 

Yumi & Wung - SPOILER ALERT - don't read further if you haven't seen the show. Yumi and Wung are hands down the most honest portrayal of a real life relationship in the genre. There's no fairytale ending here. Despite their feelings for each other, Wung can't give Yumi what she deserves and they both have realized it. And while it wasn't a happily ever after, that they were two people who deeply cared for each other and (for a while) were extraordinarily happy together was an absolute joy to watch. Not all relationships last forever, but that doesn't mean that a short term one isn't special. 

Sae Bom & Yi Hyun - if this was a straight up contest to measure cool vibes and swagger, these two would blow the rest of the field away. Can't be easy to sort out your romantic feelings with your longtime BFF/contract spouse/zombie-fighting partner but these two manage it with aplomb. Park Hyung Sik is masterful at acting so naturally with whoever he is acting alongside. Han Hyo Joo is the polar opposite of a damsel in distress but still shows just enough vulnerability at key moments. 

Yu Ra & Jae Min - the tragedy here is that these two only got three short episodes but Jo Yoo Jung completely incinerates every moment of it as Yu Ra. It's as perfect a high school romance as could be found with its awkwardness and confusion and mistakes and hope. Their final episode (5 of 7 for Adult Trainee) is one of the best episodes of any show this year. 

Song Wha & Ik Jun - the final few episodes of season two of Hospital Playlist were, overall, the weakest of what was one of the best shows to be broadcast in the last couple of years. Despite that, the long simmering relationship between these two finally boils over from friendship to coupledom. What qualifies it for the ranking here is how HP2 scripted Song Wha's confession. The feels-like-eternity silence before she could muster the words was a genius level storytelling move. And that these characters are played by two organically likable actors scores too.